Evia is the second largest island in Greece and the sixth largest in the Mediterranean.
It stands out for its natural beauty and diverse landscape. Coastal landscapes in deep blue meet all the shades of green and earthy colours in dense forests. Small harbours with fishing boats are at a short distance from forests and snow-capped peaks while lively towns and cities are a few kilometers away.
Tourism in Evia has developed at a slower pace than in other, more well-known Greek islands and it remains a largely unexplored destination. Each bay hides an untouched beach, each village a gastronomic surprise, each anchorage a magnificent sunset.
And Sail Evia is the best way to discover it.
Evia has been inhabited since the Palaeolithic times, with first inhabitants being the ancient Greek races called Avantes and Ions. The first cities which developed commercially and militarily were Halkis, Eretria, Istiea and Karystos. In the 8th century BC, the peoples of Evia came to the height of their power and began the founding of colonies in Halkidiki, Cyclades, Asia Minor and Lower Italy. Afterwards, however, due to the long war between Halkis and Eretria, they decayed and were forced to become subordinate to other Greeks, initially the Athenians and later the Macedonians.
In Byzantine and Roman times, Evia regained its glory until its conquest by the Ottoman Turks. It was liberated in 1830 and became part of the first independent Greek state. After the Asia Minor Catastrophe in 1922, refugees were added to the population to establish new cities, while its final form took shape after the bombing by the Nazis during the occupation and the liberation in 1944.
Today it is a separate County, with Halkida as its main city , and administratively, includes Skyros island as well.
